Erener _ one of Turkey's most popular female singers, with records sales of more than 4 million _ delivered a sultry blend of rhythm-laden pop laced with hints of the blues and Arabic-tinged hip hop.

"It is incredible, Turkey is very happy," Erener said, licking her fingers as she ate Belgian chocolates given to her by the second-place finishers. "My friends (in Turkey) just called and said, 'Let's party!'"

Turkey's previous best was in 1997 when it finished third with Erener representing it then, too.

Oddsmakers had predicted that Tatu, whose sexy outfits and flirtation with lesbianism have made headlines, would win this year's contest. Britain's Jemini also flopped, receiving no points.

Eurovision was started in 1956 by the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, as a way of bringing together the nations of postwar Western Europe with perky pop tunes. It has grown from seven founding participants to 26 this year, stretching from Britain to Israel.

The contest is derided by many as a showcase of kitsch, and most Eurovision victors have faded into obscurity. But Sweden's ABBA was propelled to international fame after it won with "Waterloo" in 1974, and other famous contestants included Celine Dion and Julio Iglesias.

Latvia, a Baltic Sea country of 2.4 million people, won the right to host the event when 22-year-old law student Maria Naumova won last year. Turkey will be next year's host.

More than 150 million were estimated to have watched the show, and thousands more logged on to the Internet to see it via streaming video.